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Spitz Planetarium Comes to Mercury Bay


Spitz Planetarium Comes to Mercury Bay

The Mercury Bay Regional Museum is proud to announce in this, the World Year of Physics, that it has recently acquired the Spitz Planetarium formerly located in the Auckland War Memorial Museum. This classic scientific instrument will be one of only 4 permanent planetariums in New Zealand and will be a great asset to the museum and our community. It will be especially relevant to the Mercury Bay area which has such a strong astronomical heritage ranging from Kupe`s pioneering voyages to Cooks` historic observation of the transit of Mercury on what is now known as Cooks Beach.

The planetarium will not only be a useful and unusual exhibition for the museum but will also have broad educational abilities which will appeal to casual visitors and residents as well as students from schools throughout the peninsula. It will be possible to illustrate the current positions and motions of the stars and planets as well recreate the patterns of stars that enabled these earlier explorers to find their way across the vast oceans on their way to the Whitianga area.

The Stardome Trust have shown great faith in the Mercury Bay Regional Museum project, and in the face of a great deal of interest from other institutions, have donated the planetarium to be incorporated in the design of the new museum. Utilising a great deal of local specialist support, we hope to have the Planetarium up and running within the next 18 months.

Alastair Brickell, well known local astronomer and member of both the Coromandel Astronomy Group and the MB Regional Museum project committee says “ That such an iconic device as the Auckland Spitz Planetarium is coming to the Mercury Bay supports the work of the Museum Project team, and the opportunity to use the device to show the relative skills of both the Polynesian and early European navigators is completely appropriate.”

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Grant Collie, Project Director says “ Now that the fundraising campaign is in full flow and our initial displays are accessible to the public, It was timely that the Stardome Trust offer was made. The design team has begun to develop a room to allow the planetarium to be utilised as both an exhibit in its own right, and a phenomenal educational resource. We are hopeful that a company will see this particular exhibit as an exciting sponsorship opportunity. Now that the project has charitable status all donations over $5 are tax deductable”

Further information on the project can be obtained on http://www.mercurybaymuseum.co.nz


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